Web-like products, such as continuous plastic film, may be shipped in the form of rolls of product material wound onto a cylindrical core. In order to avoid damage or contamination of exposed surfaces of such rolls, each end of the cylindrical core is supported by an end-support panel prior to packaging the wound roll for shipment. These end-support panels serve as flanges for supporting each end of the roll and are made of a relatively rigid material such as wood, fiberboard, or the like, in order to provide the strength required for supporting the roll which may be relatively heavy. The inward side of the panel may be padded with a cushioning type of material. Unfortunately, many of the materials from which the panels and/or the pads are made may abrade during shipment and cause contamination of the product material wound on the roll. The product material also may have a static charge, which can aggravate the contamination problem by attracting abraded and other loose debris.
It is known in the art to protect the roll of product material by encasing or enveloping the end-support panels in a hermetically sealed wrapper or the like, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,644 issued Aug. 22, 1972, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,903, issued June 12, 1973. It is thus known to wrap the end-support panels entirely in a hermetically sealed envelope of plastic film. However this wrapping process is complicated and requires relatively expensive equipment. In addition, the hermetically sealed envelope provided initially is often destroyed when the cylindrical core is inserted within the aperture of the panel. Accordingly, the prior art does not provide a simple, commercially feasible product, method and apparatus wherein the inward or roll side of end-support panels is covered completely and efficiently so as to protect the roll of product material without unnecessary manufacturing expense.